Under HIPAA, what is considered protected health information (PHI)?

Protected Health Information (PHI) under HIPAA encompasses all individually identifiable health information that is held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associate in any form, whether electronic, paper, or oral. This means that PHI includes not just physical health records, but also information communicated during medical appointments, data stored electronically, and information in any other format.

This broad definition ensures that a wide range of information related to an individual’s health, healthcare provision, and payment for healthcare services is safeguarded, reflecting HIPAA’s goal of protecting patient privacy and confidentiality across various avenues of health information management.